Council approves £180k grants

Causeway Coast and Glens Council has agreed to give grants worth over £180,000 to community, social and Festival events.

Council received 58 applications for Community Development Grant Support Grants for 2016/17.

Of those 52 were eligible for funding with six being unsuccessful. A total of £93,016 will be handed out.

Julie Welsh, Head of Community and Culturetold councillors: “The purpose is to contribute to the running costs/overhead costs incurred by core community development organisations.

“The total maximum eligible amount of CDSG funding requested is £84,016. Allocation of funding to Garvagh Development Trust for the GADDA Building (approved at Council meeting on 23rd February) to come from CDSG budget is £9,000.”

Council agreed to give social funding grants worth £18,889.

Forty-five applications were received for Social Inclusion Grants for 2016/17. Of those 47 were assessed for funding with three referred from CDSG, one withdrawn, 39 eligible and eight unsuccessful.

Julie Welsh explained: “The purpose is to provide small grants to the community and voluntary organisations that are involved in activities that encourage people to participate in social and recreational activities.”

Festival funding grants worth £70,049. were also agreed.

During a recent meeting, members heard that 62 applications were received for the Community Festival Fund 2016/17. Of those two were withdrawn, three were unsuccessful and 57 were eligible for funding.

Julie Welsh, added: “The purpose is to support, promote and develop the capacity of communities to host community festival events across the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area.

“A community festival is a festival which has developed from within a community and should celebrate and positively promote what the community represents.”

Following councillors concern about the unsuccessful applicants, the officer explained that “support, guidance and advice” is always given to those seeking funding.

She added: “We write out to groups to let them know of the appeals process.”

She added that last year out of 160 applications, three were appealed with one was overturned.

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